I have run my RRS with an HST grille since last year - 10 days ago while washing the car I took it out to clean the squashed wildlife off it and was amazed to find how much dead bug was lodged in the engine and a.c. radiators, enough to have me concerned at how the cooling efficiency of the radiators might be reduced. I have never seen one of my cars with so many squashed bugs in the radiators. After spending a few hours cleaning then I have since been running with the original TDv8 cheese-grater grille in place and find that there are far fewer bugs being forced into the radiators despite us now being at "peak bug season" up here.
Guys I suggest those of you with HST grilles take them out and have a look at the radiators to see how blocked up they are with dead flies and wildlife and give them a clean out if the fins look clogged. 2020 Pangea Green 1st Edition D240 New Defender 110 is here and loving it
2018 Melting Silver Mini Countryman PHEV - soon to be replaced
2015MY Corris Grey SDv6 HSE Dynamic, the best car I have ever owned, totally reliable only a cou0le of rattles in 3 years, now no longer in my care
Also in my garage is a 1996 TDi300 Defender 90 County HT made into a fake CSW

Last edited by Tim in Scotland on Tue Jul 21 2009 8:36am. Edited 1 time in total

Funny Tim I was only thinking along those lines myself a few days ago.

Will definitely check it out now

I’ve also thought that smalls pebbles could more easily make their way in to damage the radiator too with the HST grille versus the standard one.

 2020 Pangea Green 1st Edition D240 New Defender 110 is here and loving it
2018 Melting Silver Mini Countryman PHEV - soon to be replaced
2015MY Corris Grey SDv6 HSE Dynamic, the best car I have ever owned, totally reliable only a cou0le of rattles in 3 years, now no longer in my care
Also in my garage is a 1996 TDi300 Defender 90 County HT made into a fake CSW

More reasons not to have an HST grille  

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Ah but theres a simple solution to it. Get a piece of nylon mesh and stick it in the back of the grill. An old tip learned the hard way from having small stones burst intercoolers on lorries in the past. Another problem is if you try to power wash beasties out in heavies all you do is force then from the intercooler into the radiator. Current, M135i in Estoril Blue with more extras than the cast of Ben Hur.

535d m-sport Platinum grey and a few extras.... Gone

X5 3.0 sd in Space Grey, 20's, Dynamic Pack, Memory Pack, Media Pack, Tow Pack, Rear DVD, Panoramic Sunroof, Steps, 7 Seat Pack, Reversing Camera with moving lines, programmable park heat, etc etc etc - Gone

Range Rover Sport Santorini, privacy, dvd, towpack GONE!!!

shmoogle wrote:

More reasons not to have an HST grille

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5 series for the miles

RRS S/C factory built HST - Gone

45 others have been and gone!

Why don't you fit a hd flyscreen on the back of the HST grill? You won't see it from outside.

It was less money to put back the one the car came with from the factory as I still have it.
Where is that Shylock emoticon when you want it. 2020 Pangea Green 1st Edition D240 New Defender 110 is here and loving it
2018 Melting Silver Mini Countryman PHEV - soon to be replaced
2015MY Corris Grey SDv6 HSE Dynamic, the best car I have ever owned, totally reliable only a cou0le of rattles in 3 years, now no longer in my care
Also in my garage is a 1996 TDi300 Defender 90 County HT made into a fake CSW